Drill head



R. LEE

DRILL HEAD Dec. 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 18, 1951 m MN. fwos/AL LEE ATTORNEY 5 36' /N VEN TOR arm R. LEE

DRILL HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 18, 1951 /NVENTOR ROYAL LEE Patented Dec. 22, 1/953 i DRILL HEAD Royal Lee, Elm Grove, Wis., assignor to Lee Engineering Company, ration of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wis., a corpo- Application July 18, 1951, Serial No. 237,433

12 Claims. 1

rThe present invention relates to machine tools and more particularly to tool heads for effecting drilling and other tool operations.

An object oi the invention is to provide a power-driven tool head having feeding means which will avoid excessive feeding pressure on the drill or other tool.

Another object is to provide an improved form or" releasahle drive for the tool feeding means.

Still another object is to provide a tool head having a power-driven spindle under the control of speed regulating means which also controls the feeding pressure.

A further object is to provide a tool head having reciprocahle motor-driven tool which is automatically advanced when the motor is energized is automatically retracted when the motor is deenergized.

A still further object is to provide an improved tool head which is of simple and compact construction, and which is capable of inexpensive manufacture.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating certain embodiments of the invention,

Fig. l is a plan view of a drilling machine including drill heads of the invention, the drill heads having their spindles in retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the drilling machine, a drill spindle thereof being in advanced position, and parts being 1erolzen away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a iront end View oi one of the drill heads;

Fig. fi is a rear end view of the drill head; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken generally on the line f'iof Fig. 2;

c is a transverse sectional view taken generally en the line ii-B of Fig. 2;

Fig. '.7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the drill head, the drill spindle thereof being in retracted position;

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View taken on the line -B of Fig. fi;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic View of a speed controlling system for the drill head motor;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view of another speed controlling system, and

Fig. 1l is a fragmentary view of a modified form oi drilling machine.

In the drawings, l5 designates a suitable base, such as a machine table, carrying a work holder i6 on which a work piece W is detachably mounted. The 'base i5 has secured thereon one or more tool units or drill heads il of the invention, three drill heads being shown and being placed at an angle to each other. The drill heads are here shown to extend horizontally and radially oi' the work piece, but if desired, they may he arranged vertically or in Various other positions to suit the work at hand.

Each drill head il comprises an elongated i'rame i8 of rectangular cross-section forming a housing in which an electric motor it is long-u tudinally reciprocable. The trame includes complementary top and bottom frame plates and 2 I, each being flanged along its opposite side edges. Theframe plates have rear end walls in edgewise abutment and secured together by a screw 23, Fig. 7. 'he frame i8 further includes a rectangular iront plate 24 with a central through bore 25, the front plate connecting the front ends of the frame plates 2t and 2i', and being secured thereto, as by screws The .trame plates are further connected by spaced front and rear side plates 2l and 28 secured to the opposite side edges of the frame plates, as by screws 2i). The drill head frame it is rigidly secured to the table i5, as by screws te? threaded into the front plate 24 and the rear portion oi the bottom plate 2l.

The axially shiftable electric motor it includes a sectional casing 3l to the rear end oi' which a gear casing 32 is secured by screws these screws passing 'through hollow screws which connect parts of the gear casing. The iront end of the motor casing has a coaxial tubular exten sion 34 which is sldaole in the guide bore of the frame front plate 2li, and the gear casing is provided with aligned projecting screw studs 35 which are slidable in longitudinal guide slots 35 formed in the upper and lower plates oi' the drill head frame i8, thus limiting the maximum axial travel of the motor. A stator held core of the motor is mounted in the motor casing 3i and carries ield windings 35i. A rotor or armature 39 is rotatable in the field core and includes a shaft 4o journalled in ball bearings ai and rlhe armature 39 is provided with a commutator 43 and a cooling fan fill, and the motor casing 3i mounts brush holders e5 carrying brushes bearing on the commutator, the outer ends oi the brush holders being movable in clearance slots 4'.' formed in the frame plates E and rlhe armature shaft 40 forms a tool spindle and its front end extends coaxially into the tubular casing extension 34 and carries a drill chuck 3 of any conventional type. The drill chuck is partially housed in the casing extension :it and has a forwardly projecting portion carrying a drill Lie.

A pinion 50 is formed on the rear end of the armature shaft and meshes with gears 5I on a pair of parallel idler shafts 52 disposed at opposite sides of the pinion 5G. rlhe idler shafts are journalled in ball bearings 53 mounted in the gear casing and provided with respective pinions 513 which mesh with gears 55 on the front portions of a pair of parallel feed shafts 55. Each feed shaft is jcurnalled in a ball bearing 51 and needle bearing 58 mounted in the gear casing to the front and rear, respectively, of the gear 55. The feed shafts are suitably confined against relative axial displacement with respect to thegear casing and have screw-threaded rack-forming portions 59 projecting rearwardly of the gear casing. By the speed-reducinggearing abovedescribed the feed shafts are driven by the motor shaft at a suitable low rate of speed, the feed shafts rotating in the same direction.

The slidably mounted motor i9 is urged rearwardly under the constant retracting force of a pair of coiled tension springs 66 extending paralf. lel to the motor shaft, the frontv ends of the springs being anchored on hook members 6l secured to the gear casing, and the rear endsof the springs being screwed into hollow plugs or bushings 62, Fig. 8, threaded into the rear end wall 22 of the drill headfframe.

The screw-threaded feed shafts 55 arein constant mesh with respective nut-forming worm gears 63 secured on the hub portions of respective friction disks e@ which are disposed in confronting coaxial relation. The two disks, which are of magnetizable material, such as cast iron, are rotatably mounted on a stationary hollow shaft 65 disposed at an angle of 45 in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the Yfeed shafts 56, the hollow shaft @5 extending in the space between the two feed shafts, and the axis of the hollow shaft intersecting the projected axis of the motor shaft. The opposite ends of the hollow shaft are secured, as by screws 56, in bosses 61 formed on the upper and lower frame plates, and thrust washers 58 are placed between each boss S1 and the adjacent worm` gear B3. rhe confronting portions of the two friction disks are cupped to form coaxial circularv cavities orfvrecesses S9 and marginal braking surfaces 1u of fiat annular shape adapted to bear against each other. The peripheries of the two disks are beveled so as to conserve space. A stationary insulating spool or bobbin 1i is disposed inthe space formed by the disk cavities S9 and is pressed onto a knurled portion 12 of the hollow shaft 55. A magnetizing winding or solenoid 13 is carried by the bobbin 1I and may be formed in one or more sections to suit various control circuits, two sections being indicated in Fig. 9; Current is conducted to the winding 13 by wires 1i which pass into the hollow shaft @5' and are connected to terminal screws 15 carriedby the bobbin, the hollow shaft having a lateral opening 16 to admit the wires. If desired, the hollow shaft S5 may beV in operation, the motor,

shaft drives the screw-threaded feed shafts 56 at a suitable low rate of speed through the associated speed-reducing gearing. Whenever the solenoid winding 13 is not energized, the friction disks (S4 are free to rotate on the hollow shaft 65, and are then rotated idly in opposite directions by the worm gears 63 thereon meshing with the rotating feed shafts. Inthis condition, the drilling motor is held in its retracted position by the coiled tension springs 6e.

In order to effect feeding of the drilling motor I9, the worm gears 63 are restrained against ro tation to form reaction members, and such restraint is effectedby-suitably energizing the solenoidwinding 13, whereupon rotation of the feed shafts meshing'with the then stationary nutforming wormA gears 63 will advance the drill into the work. However, as soon as the solenoid isV deenergized, the worm gears e3 will be free to turn, and the drilling motor will immediately be retracted by the coiledsprings 6c, the rackforming feed shafts 56 idlyrotating the worm gears 63 during the retracting travel of the motor. Since thefriction disks Scare rotatable in oppositeV directions, there is substantially no torque or turning effort on the solenoid and its station.-

ary supporting shaft 65 when the solenoid is en-..

ergized. By reducing the solenoid current, the

friction disks will slip whenthe drill encounters a predetermined resistance, thus limiting the feeding pressure.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the braking solenoid 13 is automati-v Ycally controlled so as to limit the drillingV pressureand to retract the drilling motor at the end` of a driling operation. For this purpose, the drilling motor is of a type in which speed decreases with load. It is preferred to provide a ser-ies or universal type motor, as shown in Fig. 9,

although it is possible to use certain other motors,

suchas repulsion motors, having similar characteristics. The motor is under the control of speed governing means which in Fig. 9 is shown to be of agremotely-operated typeV responsive to armature voltage. Byway of example, the speed controlling system; of Fig; 9 isI generally similar to that disclosed inmy United' States Patent 2,113,234 for Electrical Regulator, issued April 5, 1938. However, the system of the present invention controls not only the speed of the motor but also the operation of the braking solenoid.

Referring to the circuit of Fig. 9, the series motor I9 has its armature 39 connected between the ield windings 3E, and the latter are con nected to line conductors 82 furnishing either direct or alternating current. One of the line conductors has a manually operable control switch B3, and in some instances may also have a limit switch Sii. By way of example, the limit switch may be mounted on the machine table i5, Figs. 1 and '1, forA actuation by the front extension Sd'of the motor casing.V rfhe limit switch is suitably resettable, as by delayed action or otherwise.

A voltage coil or electromagnet 35 is connected to one of the motor brushes byl a conductor, te and to the. other brush by way of a conductor 61, amovable element or armature 83 ofthe electromagnet, a contact 89 on the movable elen ment engageable with a4 stationary contact es, and a conductor 9i. The movable-element 83 also carries a contactk 92 engageable with a stationary contact S3, the latter bei-ng connected with one of the field windings 38 by a conductor 94,*so as tov complete the motor circuit whenl the several contacts are engaged. The movable element 33 is spring-urged to contact-making position, as by means of an adjustably tensioned coiled spring 95. The contacts 89, 90 and 92, 93 form a pair of series-connected circuit-closers which operate simultaneously and are connected in series in the inotor circuit. The winding sections of the drill head solenoid 'i3 are connected in series by an intervening double-pole doublethrow switch $25 and are shunted across the double-break governor switch formed by the series-connected circuit closers 9D, Ell, and 92, 93. The switch 9G forming the junction between the solenoid sections is connected to the movable element S8 by a conductor 91. Each solenoid section is also shunted by a spark-reducing condenser 98. In some cases, as hereinafter explained, the solenoid sections may be replaced in the circuit by substitute impedances 99, this circuit change being eifected by actuating the double-throw switch 95 to its other position. An adjustable impedance |90 is connected in the conductor S to form a speed control.

In the operation of the drilling head, closing of the control switch 83 energizes the electric motor is, the motor current flowing through the governor switch contacts 39, 9D, and 92, 93 and causing the motor armature to rotate and increase in speed. As the motor speed increases the voltage across the armature also increases and is impressed on the coil 85, causing the movable member dit to be attracted and the associated contacts to separate at a predetermined motor speed. As soon as the governor contacts open the solenoid winding 'I3 is energized by the motor current nowing therethrough, thus holding the friction disks til and their worm gears 63 against rotation. The slow rotation of the screwthreaded feed shafts 56 meshing with the then stationary worm gears thereby advances the drilling motor on its feeding stroke against the force of the retracting springs 60. During rotation of the motor shaft the governor contacts repeatedly open and close, but their open periods are much longer than their closed periods, so that while the motor is running without load the solenoid winding will be energized most of the time. As soon as the advancing drill engages the work piece the motor will tend to slow down, and if the feeding pressure on the drill exceeds a sare predetermined value, the motor will slow down below the governed speed, causing closing of the governor contacts and consequent deenergiaation oi the solenoid winding I3. The springs thereupon slightly retract the drill motor, reducing the load on the drill, and the motor again speeds up and opens the governor contacts, causing resumed feeding of the drill. As a result the drill feeds into the work piece at a suitable rate which will not damage the drill or the work. The intermittent drill feed may also provide a chip breaking action. As the drill gradually becomes dull, the feeding rate gradually decreases because of the increased drilling reslstance or load. In the absence of a limit switch, the forward travel of the drill head motor is limited by the abutment of the guide studs 35 with the front ends of the guide slots 36, the drilling operation being then completed. The attendant then opens the motor switch 83, thus deenergizing the motor and the solenoid winding i3 and permitting the springs St to retract the motor in readiness for a succeeding drilling operation. 'I'he work piece W is then removed from thework holder I6 and replaced bya fresh work e3' piece. When two or more drill heads are provided, the drill heads may be operated either simultaneously or successively, depending on the nature of the work.

When the limit switch 84 is provided the motor circuit will be opened by the motor at a suitable point of its forward travel, thus causing automatic retraction of the motor.

In certain cases, it may be desirable to have the drill motor run continuously and still provide for feeding and retraction of the motor. For this purpose the switch 96 in the governor circuit forms a control switch and connects the governor contacts selectively with the solenoid winding sections and with the resistors 53B. The switch 93 may be of the snorting or non-snorting type. When the switch e5 connects the solenoid winding in the shunting circuit, the drilling head will operate as above described, and when the switch is moved to its other position, the motor will continue to run at its governed speed, out the solenoid winding will be deenergized, thus causing the springs 'SS to retract the drilling motor.

The drill chuck is here shown to have a direct drive with the motor shaft, but if desired the chuck may be driven through a conventional reducing gear, not shown, one form of which is disclosed in my Patent 2,405,389 for Electric Motor, issued August 27, 1946.

The modined form oi` speed regulating system shown in l a speed responsive switch ci 'the c motor. The switch in s cooperating contacts lil connected in series in the motor circuit, as between the armature and one or the field windings, and shunted by the solenoid winding 'it and by a condenser S63. r`She switch contacts open upon increase of motor speed, thus energizing the solenoid winding. By way or example, the governor of Fig. l() may be similar to that disclosed in my latent 51,767,145 for Variable Speed Electric Motor Switch, issued June a i936. 'Enfsystem of Fig. l0 is otherwise s'ni ar to that of Fig. 9.

In the modied form of drilling machine shown in Fig. ll, the spindle unit or tool head il is secured to a base plate id and the chuck of the spindle unit is adapted to carry a rotatable work piece W. A drill chuck 1323 is nxed on the base plate and carries a stationary drill 4S which is coaxial with the motor shaft. In the operation of the machine the rotating work piece is advanced against the stationary drill, and the feed is controlled in the same manner as in the machine of Figs, l to 9.

The spindle units or drill heads oi the invention may be incorporated in various types ci Inachine tools. In certain types of cyclically operating machine tools the motor controlling switches 52 and may be automatically actuated.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Machine tool appa JFus, comprising an electric spindle-driving nio or recipro wole on feeding and retracting movements, releasable actuating means operable by svmotor for 7ancing said motor on a feeding movement, yi debio means urging said tow rd a retracted position upon release of said actuating means, and electromagnetic control means for engaging and releasing said actuating means at any point in the travel of said motor.

2. Machine tool apparatus, comprising an electricwspindle-driving motor reciprocable on feedingand retractingmovements, releasable actuating means operable by saidmotorl-for advancing saidmotor on a feedingA movement-viewable means urging said motor toward a retracted positionuponreleaseA of said actuating;means, and motor-specd-responsive control; means for. releasing said actuating means atazmotorfspeed belovv a predeterminedvalue;

3; Machine tool apparatus, comprising/a reciprocable spindle shiftaole on feeding and retracting movements, drivingmeans for said. spin- `dle, releasable power-driven actuatingmeans for advancing said spindle one feedingmovement, yieldable means urging .saidspindle;` toward a retracted' position upon release of said actuating means, and cans responsive togspindlel speed for releasing sa. actuating meanswat a speed'below a .predeterm travel: of said spindle.`

e. Machine tool apparatuaccmprising an electric-spindle-driving motor 'r ciprocable on` feeding ating means operable by' said motor, for advancing said motor on a feeding movement, yieldable means urging saidfmotor towardaretractedposition upon release of saidactuatingmeans, electromagnetic control fory said actuating means including Winding-which When'energized renders effective said actuating means, and speed-governing switch means for said', motor connected in circuill with said motor and, in

shunt to said Winding and opening on attain-v ment of a predetermined motor speed to energize said Winding.

5. Machine tool apparatus, comprising an electric spindle-driving motor reciprocable on feeding and retracting,r movements, releasable actuating means operable by said motor for advancing said motor on a feeding movement, yieldable means urging said motortoward'a retracted poa nut-forming gear rotatablyl carried bysaidy frame constantly meshing with said screw shaft, control meansreleasablyrestraining the rotation of sai` geanand yieldable meansurging said motor toward a retracted position upon release of said gear, said gear Whenreleasedbcing rotatable by said rack-forming screw-shaft during the retracting movement of the motor.

7. Machine tool apparatus, comprising a pair of relatively movable members one, of which is reversiblg,r shiftable on feeding and retracting movements, yieldable means urging saidr shift-V able member toiif'ard retracted position, and power-actuated means for advancing said shiftable member on a feeding movement and forreleasing said shiftable member for return by said yieldable means, said power-actuated means including a power-rotated rack-forming screwshaft on one of said members and a rotatably mounted nut-forming gear on the other member con-4 stantly meshing with said screw-shaft, and-control means releasably restraining ined `value andy atanyV point in the,

screw shaft carried by said motor and the rotation of f and retracting movements, releasable actuurging said movableY support said gear, said gear Vvvhen released; being rotated by said'rack-forming screw-shaft during the retracting movement of said shiftable member.

8Machine tool apparatus, comprising a pair ofrelatively movable; members one of which is reversibly shiftable on feeding and retracting movements, yieldablemeans ur ing said shiftable member towardretracted position, and power-actuated means; foradvancing said shiftable member, on' a feeding movement and for releasing said shiftablemember for return by said yieldable means, saidpoWer-actuated means includinga pair of power-operated screw shafts-on one of said membersy and a` pair of rotatably mounted gears on the other member meshing with said respective screwy shafts, said screw shafts being disposedY in; parallel relation, and said gears'being coaxial and rotatable in opposite directions, cooperatingbralfie membersV rotatable with said gears, and control rneans'forl 'said brake membersY for releasably restraining vrotation of said gears.

9, Machine tool apparatus, comprising a pair of relatively movablemembers one of which is reversibly shiftaole; on feeding and retracting movements, yieldable means urging said shiftable member toward retracted position, and power-actuated means for. advancing said shiftable member on a Afeeding movement and for reasing said shiftable member for return by said y" ldable meanasaid power-actuated means including. afpar of power-operated screw shafts on. cneof said members and a pair of rotatably mounted gears on the other; member meshing with said respective screw shafts, said screwshaftsg'o idisposed in parallel relation, and gears being coaxial and rotatable in oppoel directions,V cooperating magnetizable brake membersrotatable With saidgears, and control means for said bra-ke members including arnagnetizable winding between said brake membersv toeffect engagement of said brake members and thereby restrain theirotaticn'of said gears.

lo. Machine tool apparatus, comprising-espindle shiftable on` feeding and retracting movementadriving meansgfor said spindle includingy anelect -ic motor having an inverse speed-load characteristic, releasable actuating means drivenV by said motor for advancingsaid spindle cna feeding movement, yieldable meansurging said spindleytovvard a retracted'posltion upon release of actuating means, and control means responsive to motorV speed forreleasingsaid actumeans uponzreduction ofmotor speed,VV

ll. Machine toolapparatus,v comprising a ,Work support and a tool-snpporaoneof saidsupports beingreversibly movable and shiftable on feedingand, retracting movements, yieldable means toward retracted. position, Areleasable power-actuated means for advancing said-,movable support `on a feeding movementand for releasing said movablesupport for return ley-said yieldablemeans, said power-actuated means including power-rotated rackforrning screw shaft and` a rotatably mounted nut-forming gear constantly meshing with said; screw-shaft, and control means for releasably restraining the rotation of said gear, saidV gear when released being rotatable by said screw-shaft during the retracting movementof the motor.

12. Machine toolV apparatus, comprising a frame, an `electric motor shiftablv carried by said frame andareciprocable onfeeding and retracting movements, a rotatableY spindle at. the front. of said motor, a gear-casing. at the rear of said.

9 motor having speed-reducing gearing driven by said motor, a rack-forming screw shaft projecting rearwardly of said motor and driven by said gearing, said screw shaft extending parallel to the direction of motor movement, a nut-forming gear rotatably carried by said frame and constantly meshing with said screw shaft, control means releasably restraining the rotation of said gear to eiieot shifting of said motor in a feeding movement, and yieldable means urging said Vmo- 1 tor toward retracted position upon release of said gear, said gear when released being rotatable l0 by said screw-shaft during the retracting movement of the motor.

ROYAL LEE'.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,434,946 Forillo NOV. 7, 1922 1,950,597 Corwin c Mar. 13, 1934 0 2,035,283 Schroeder Mar, 24, 1936 2,153,195 Lilja Apr. 4, 1939 

